Smith & Byford has added new fleet of Ford Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid vans in a commitment to cut its CO2 emissions and improve energy management.

Delivered by Herd Group, the long-term rentals will be used by Smith & Byford engineers to deliver services for local authorities and housing associations in London

The family owned building services company, which has more than 400 employees, has deployed the vans on a long-term rental basis, supplied by Herd Group.

The plug-in hybrids will be used by Smith & Byford engineers to deliver services across its portfolio of local authorities and housing association clients in London.

Sandra Barrett, Smith & Byford fleet manager, said: “We’ve opted for a range of hybrid vehicles that work from a range, payload and capability perspective and which help us in our goals to reduce CO2 and improve energy management. We don’t have any EVs on our fleet right now and taking on hybrid vehicles is a transition for Smith & Byford’s sustainability.”

Herd Group has adopted a hybrid van rental strategy as a pragmatic approach to helping the UK meet net zero targets whilst addressing the challenges of transitioning to full electrification.

Barrett added: “We’ve used Herd for our long-term rental solution for many years – they are very good at maximising the efficiency of our fleet and ensuring a smooth transition for upgrades.”

To check out our review of the Ford Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid, please click here.